Ten Loaded Guns
by VexyJeanetteRaven22-6
Summary: Everyone leads perfect lives. A dentist visit, three cases of family time, and two business matters-but they all get called off. Arkham breakouts require the WHOLE BatFam, after all. A dose of laughing gas hampering abilities, a hot pursuit, a brush with death, and so many villains are coming. . . .
1. Chapter 1

"No." Talia replied to a white coated man. Damian lay still on a halfway reclined dentist's chair, waiting for a shot of laughing gas. His mother was dressed nicely, in black leather boots and jeans with a white T-shirt on. She pulled a black jacket over the shirt-she was sitting right underneath an air conditioning vent. In the six months since she and Bruce had finally gotten married, the world had come to change their view on the woman. She'd been represented as a supervillain by the police, the daughter of a ruthless assassin-but no one even knew her name.

That was nice, especially because her son could have a semi-normal life with her living as Talia Wayne. She could be the powerful buisnesswoman that married Bruce Wayne, the mother of Damian that was assuming responsibility for him now that her abusive father was out of the picture-things were moving in the right direction. It was half an hour before they started work on Damian, but his wisdom teeth needed out and today was the only day they could squeeze him in.

The kid's mind was twisted with the drugs they used to numb all of the pain. He murmured about his sisters "Barbie Doll" and "Care-Bear" and his brothers, who were all birds-but no one knew that was he was saying was simply fond nicknames for the people he was beginning to grow close to in the year since he'd come to Gotham. Talia worried he might let their secrets' slip, so she tried to hurry him out. Then, her phone started ringing. But it wasn't the cell Bruce had given her, it was the one that the Batman had given her.

Stephanie pressed her cheek to the warm beach towel. It was nice to get out, especially since Red Robin and Spoiler had quit their act so long ago-but was six months really that long? The girl's sand-colored hair tumbled into her vision as she turned her gaze to her side, and Tim Drake there beside her. No, it wasn't that long.

"Hey, have you heard anything from Talia today?" His question was sudden, a loud noise to her calm ears. She had all but tuned out the sound of bystanders, the sound of rushing waves and splashing against the rocks, and now it came spraying in. Steph shook her head, once to clear it, and the other to answer. "Nope. Poor Dami's gotta get his wisdom teeth pulled today-he'll be on Cloud 9 with the drugs when we get back."

The young boy leaned in, whispering, "And I bet Bruce still makes him patrol after this, too."

The pair laughed, a little sickly, but they had been on vacation for a day and a half. It was nice to be relieved of duty, at least temporarily. But then they got the call.

"Come on, Briar-Rose," his wife prompted. She was kneeling on the carpeting beside the couch-after the bombing, they needed to rebuild the place, and that was one of the first things to change. A fluffy tan carpet that their tiny daughter was, at the moment, taking her very first steps on. He held her hands, high above her head, and she smiled. One step, then one more, he slowly let her go.

She stumbled a little when her hands dropped, no one holding on. The little girl took one step, however, and another, until she reached her mother's warm embrace. The man, in his late teens, smiled. He kissed his baby girl's little cheek and she laughed, safe in her mother's arms. The young woman, only seventeen, smiled. "Glad they let you off of patrol today, Jason."

"So am I," he said, helping his daughter stand again. She took a single step and faltered, dropping onto her bottom. It spooked the tiny child, but she got on her hands and knees and crawled to the base of the couch, where a teddy bear lay, discarded. It was larger than the toddler, yet she sat up and pulled the fluffy brown animal close. It had a ribbon around it's neck, tied in a bow on one side.

Trinity, the baby's mother, walked past the little girl to a coffee table. She picked up a box of Girl Scout cookies and pulled a few out, offering one to Jason. He took it and nibbled on it, watching his daughter play. If only every day could be this carefree-it was nice to be around his family, he wasn't his usual angry self here. It never seemed to last-especially when his BatFam phone started to beep on the table.

"We are just boarding the last flight now," Kori's voice was static. "But we shall be there at eight tonight."

"Alright," Dick replied. "I've missed you."

"I have done the 'missing' of you as well," his wife said. She had taken their daughter on a weeklong trip to the East Coast to visit their friends in Steel City. However, at the last minute, he was called for a special case on the police force. He'd stayed behind and was sorely missing his soulmate and his daughter, Mar'i. His sister, Raven, had twin kids that he was babysitting at the moment, but she was due back soon.

His charges, Destiny and Prem, lived with his family in the Titans' Tower. They were his niece and nephew, after all. Their father, Garfield Logan, had been his friend for over a decade. They'd built the place together, from the ground up, when the Teen Titans formed so many years ago. Raven was another of that original team, that perfect team that was ripped apart slowly, torn away piece by piece. But now was an okay time, too-they were all happy where they'd ended up, and they talked often, visited on a regular basis. But sometimes, duty would call and they would have to go. Like now, when Grayson's old BatFamily communicator blinked to life.

Cass stifled a yawn and tied the last of the ribbon over the door. "Grand Opening: 6/23" read a banner over it. She was going to work here as her first job, the place that opened in a week, Rose's place. Rose Wilson knew she could never have kids, and to be honest, she'd never been interested in boys that much anyway. So she was devoting her life to a feline pursuit, a hotel exclusively for cats and the occasional friendly dog. And Cassandra Cain wanted to assist.

She'd been up late the night before, a Black Bat patrol had dragged on. So now she was half-asleep and decorating from a ladder, six feet in the air. Her younger sister Carrie, who had been sharing an apartment with her since six months ago, worked tirelessly beside her. The girl had been Robin before Tim Drake had, for only a short time-the Mutants gang that was controlling Gotham killed her.

Damian had revived her-Damian had gone out with Cass and Dick one night. It rained, it rained hard, but they did end up reviving her. And now, with her sister beside her, Cassandra was happy. She'd finally get that job she wanted, working with her favorite animals-and Carrie would be happy, too.

But that was before their special phones rang.

She rolled over, blankets suffocating her, and then she felt a warmth against her. She lifted her head quietly, seeing a sleeping silhouette beside her, and Barbara smiled. It had been a long time since she'd smiled last.

The redhead pulled one arm free of her half-limp body, and used it to brush the blonde locks from her companion's cheek. She proceeded to kiss the spot, watching as twin blue eyes blinked open. Barbara murmured, "Morning, Kara."

The Kryptonian girl smiled, kissed her lover back, and slowly got up. Barbara slid off the bed into her wheelchair, rolling through a door to a bathroom. She washed her face in the sink, watching her sleepy hair in the mirror. She could get used to this life, not waking at five each morning for duty when she'd already been up late. It was nearing midday now, the sun was shining and she was awakening.

That's when her phone went off-and not her brand new cell.

Bruce Wayne settled his chin against his hand, elbow propped against the table. Yet another buisness meeting to attend-and he knew all of these figures already, he monitored where departments stood. Damian would be at the dentist by now, he knew. Another casual check of the time-his son would probably be on his way home by now. Another ten minutes before the final department presented, plus their speech would drag on.

His closing speech was shortened, compared to a usual one anyway. The meeting packed up, and Bruce stayed. It was a personal policy-one that, at the moment, he was not terribly grateful for. But he got to wrap up a few frayed ends with one group, which he appreciated-and he decided to head home. No one would miss him, anyway-he had finished all of his work early just to do this.

He drove down a quiet backstreet, an alley on either side of him. His vehicle wouldn't draw attention to anyone, he hoped, but he would be home soon anyway and that was the only thing that mattered at present. His son would be angry if the laughing gas wore off and he was not there-Bruce had promised him that he would be. So on he drove, to the private path leading to Wayne Manor-leading home.

He parked the car, noticing quite a few things at once. Dick and Jay weren't home, or their bikes would be parked close to the door. Autumn leaves would litter the floor because they would have left the huge panel open, and they would get lectured by Alfred once again. A fondness for his oldest sons and guardian warmed his tired heart as he walked to the door.

Barbara's grey electric car and Cass's new economy car were both gone, but he knew they would be. The girls lived on their own now-Barbara was miles away and Cass had her own apartment. She'd even taken Carrie with her, taken the little sister that was just a month older than Damian. Damian who wasn't home yet after all-he knew because Talia's preferred car was gone. A black Camaro convertible, with matching upholstry on the seats.

He opened the kitchen door, walking in and spotting Alfred instantly. The older man greeted him with a simple nod and he walked through the room, heading to change. He got in jeans and a T-shirt, walking down to the cave to get a start on tonight's research before Damian got home. That would take up most of his afternoon, he knew-Jason, Tim, and Cass had all gone through the process before.

The computers had just been turned on when an alert ran through them. Arkham breakout-villains conspired, shot a hole through a few walls, and now everyone was streaming through the space. He could go out as Batman and slow them, but it would take help-and a lot of it.

It was two forty five when the call came in. By three she was in the car and speeding down the private drive to the Manor. Damian was lost in the backseat, muttering something that made Talia snort. She wondered briefly what was the matter, since the signal had been sent out to the entire BatFamily. Jason would come, she knew. Dick might, but he seemed to always have plans-or so Damian said. Talia hoped briefly that her blood son wouldn't have to fight like this.

Cass's little car was parked in the usual spot in the garage-she'd come running, and that meant little Carrie would be with her. Tim's car was beside it-had he and Stephanie really come back from vacation for this? It must be bad, they been told not to come back for any reason since they'd taken so many patrols lately. Jason's bike was inside the door, too-how long had she taken to get home?

She walked into the kitchen, her son stumbling behind her like a drunken puppy. She gave him a sympathetic glance before heading towards the cave, where she knew her family would be waiting.

"Remember, keep updating each other," Bruce said. "Just lock them up. Dami, be careful."

"I will, Father," he murmured wearily into his comm. Dick gave him a worried look, but the boy took off running beside Carrie. Her new Catgirl outfit was in stealth mode, black like a shadow. Steph turned to her own companion, Tim, and they sped off. They were to monitor the wounded and try to get a makeshift hospital set up, since the infirmary was a long way away and over a dozen guards were unconscious and bleeding at their feet.

Commissioner Gordon was watching the scene with Barbara, who was in the Batmobile. She'd set up six or seven screens to keep tabs on the two-person teams they'd been put into. She and Tim were Red Robin and Batgirl, already at work.

Alfred would need to wash her uniform tonight-so much blood.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note - I do not own Batman, DC, or any related characters/scenarios.

Jason Todd is Red X in this story. Since he needed an identity nobody knew about, he stole the suit from Dick during the events of the old Teen Titans series. They let him keep it, due to the fact that quite a few civilians know about the identity of Red Hood. Also, I added this bit between him and Harley Quinn after seeing the Suicide Squad trailer. . . . Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Red X watched Harley Quinn spin a circle in the North Courtyard. He dropped from his perch, calling out, "Harley! Looking for your lover?"

"Oh, it's Bluejay," she said calmly. "What's happening?"

"Couple of idiots decided to blast a few holes in the walls," he informed her. "How'd you get out here?"

"Waller was sending Deadshot and I to Belle Reve again. Waiting for prison transport-that's not happening now."

"Let's at least put you in a cage, calm everyone down a bit."

"Okay." They walked calmly across the grassy lawn. She stayed silent, her red and blue pigtails fluffing in the wind. "Haven't seen you in forever, little bird."

"I live outside Jump City now," he told her. She nodded, studying the heavily masked antihero. "I heard you've got a family."

"Yeah. Found a girl and we've got a kid," he said. He looked to her for a minute, then shook his head. "We used to be friends, Harley. Can't that come back? Or does your Squad gig get in the way?"

"Jaso-Red," he was grateful she'd caught herself. "It's not my fault Amanda Waller did what she did. It's not my fault."

He thought, silent, as he opened a cell's door. "I know, Harley. I know."

And then, like a fleeting shadow, he was gone.

* * *

"Black Bat and I locked Joker and Harvey in a set of Belle Reve collars," Nightwing updated his associates. "She's running them to a Level Seven containment area-best to be safe, I think."

"Good work," Talia praised him. He smiled-since his adoptive mother had started working as Batwoman, patrols had been a little more interesting. And not to mention the fact that Batman lightened up around her. She continued, "We've got Tony with us."

"Thanks," he said. It had been a long time-months, years, a few decades, actually. That didn't stop the wound from hurting-Tony Zucco was the mob boss responsible for the death of his parents, when he was only nine. He turned back to his partner, wiping nostalgia from his mind. Best not to think of that now, Jay would freak if he discovered Joker had been looking specifically for him when he got loose.

* * *

Carrie glanced between her siblings. She wanted to follow Cass and Dick, but Damian's head wasn't on straight and she needed to keep an eye on him. She sped down a corridor after him, and took out a thug. He pinned another down, then they locked the pair in one of the few cells still standing. The area where the breakout happened had been completely destroyed-everything between them and the courtyards, a quarter mile or so to their right.

"So, what exactly happened?" Damian asked. It echoed through the radio in her ear, and Barbara spoke up. Carrie knew her sister was with Commissioner Gordon. "Victor Freeze, the Joker, and Edward Nygma teamed up to create an escape from the place. They went their seperate ways once chaos began, but most of this has calmed down."

She heard the Commissioner say something before he was handed a walkie talkie linked to the radios. "We've discovered Edward wanted a stab at new Waynetech, but he's sedated in the makeshift infirmary now. Freeze was found in a fistfight with a few newer asylum patients less than ten minutes ago, but he's been contained in the East corner of the place. We had a lock on Joker, but he got out."

Cass piped up. "Nightwing and I had him, he was saying-well, that doesn't matter. Anyway, we had him and Harvey Dent in a containment field, but Harvey decided to short it out with one of those coins. Both of them are loose again."

"Not for long," Red Robin said. "I've got a lead on Harvey downtown."

* * *

It was decided Talia, Cass, Carrie, Jason, and Damian would stay. Dick, Barbara, and Bruce could handle Harvey. It would be just like old times, Dick had said. And now, with Nightwing on his bike and the Batmobile harboring his companions, Bruce could safely say he was correct. Barbara hacked traffic lights, and they made it to a downtown bank in record time. Dick cursed over his comm and then apologized. "I'm supposed to be picking up Mar'i and Kori."

"We'll get him put away, and you can go," Bruce promised his first protege. They did so fairly quickly, but Jason's radio crackled to life and all plans were cancelled. "Bats! I've got a lock on Joker-oh my God, guys! I need help now."

* * *

Dick's eyes blurred. Damian and Carrie were going home with Talia. And the Joker had Jay again.

The scenery sped past him-his bike flew through the city. He had been closest, he would get there first, and Barbara had made a clear path for him anyway. Tim had picked up Jason's bike, he would follow soon. Stephanie was with Cass trying to keep Arkham under control-they would have to do, he had only one thing on his mind right now.

If his little brother got hurt one more time, that madman would be dead.

* * *

"So we meet again, little birdie." Joker laughed sickly. Jason's hands were bound so tight, it was a miracle they had circulation running to them at all. He was gagged with a white cloth that cut into his cheeks, it was tied so tightly. He felt cold concrete beneath him, and a scene played on a deadly repeat in his head. The madman continued, "Tell me, did you miss me? Didn't think so. Hey, what about my old crowbar? Did you miss that?"

And he began swinging the iron. Time never moved fast enough, Jason told himself. Time would never move fast enough.

* * *

All Tim knew was that if Jason got hurt, so did the Joker. All he knew was that Jason wasn't getting taken away. All he knew was that he wouldn't let the Joker hurt his brother one more time.


	3. Chapter 3

It hurt for a few minutes, until one of his ribs broke. Then it was agony, fire, a red blindness that was slowly closing in. He thought a lot when the pain started closing in, he thought loudly and it kept him awake. Or alive, was there a difference now?

He thought about the Replacement, and he remembered a fight they'd had-a pillow fight. It was silly, stupid, and right now Jason wanted it back with a passion. He thought about his sisters and how he'd been so scared when Barbara woke and couldn't feel anything below her waist.

That had been the madman's fault, too.

* * *

Carrie had always idolized Jason. He had been Robin before her, dead through her term with the name. Then, they'd been close, her like a kid sister to the boy. And she still thought he was very special. Now, if he was facing the same threats that took his life, he must have been brave.

So why was Talia shaking in the driver's seat as she took the youngest Batkids home?

* * *

"Hey, I never got an answer from you. Does A or B hurt worse?" He ripped the gag from Jason's mouth and the boy bit his fingertips. His own hands were slowly going numb.

He thought more. This time of his brothers: Dick, who was something he never got to become, Damian who lived in his shadow-but what would the boy do if his shadow was gone? All he knew was that he didn't want to die. Not now.

Still, that crowbar made his feet twitch involuntarily, and it hurt.

* * *

Cass could barely focus on her task.

If Jason left, where would she be? She often needed help on patrols-and he'd be the only one to show up. If she had a particularly bad nightmare about her parents returning, it was Jason she would call in the morning. When Carrie acted up, Jay told her what to do. She hoped with all of her heart that her older brother would come home safe, but when her comm crackled with Dick's voice, she knew he wouldn't be completely sound.

"TD, I need immediate reinforcements." The oldest Batchild said. Red Robin replied, "I'll be another two minutes."

She worried more when she heard Batman's gruff voice. "What did you find?"

"Another warehouse, crowbar, and electric laced windows. Only way in is to bust through them and I don't have anything to shut them down with." He wouldn't make it in time. Her heart skipped. Barbara said, "We have a few with us but it's going to take six or seven minutes for us to get to your location."

All Cass could think was that if Jason died, she would never recover. And Bruce would probably die alongside his son.

* * *

He felt another slam of the crowbar. Vision in his left eye was all but gone, and his right was against the concrete. Joker obviously thought someone would come, or he wouldn't be working so quickly. Jason knew they wouldn't.

At least two of his ribs were broken and a third was cracked. He felt the levels of agony ripping down his side and torso, but what could he have done? A ragged breath caught in his throat as he thought he saw someone in the window. No, he was hallucinating. Another smash of the crowbar, and blood began to trickle from broken skin. Where were Bruce and Dick, were they going to be too late again? He would settle for the Replacement being there-he would even like it.

He wouldn't get to say goodbye to Trinity and Briar-Rose. That hit him harder than any strike from the Clown Prince of Crime. He wouldn't get to say farewell to his wife and daughter.

* * *

Stephanie locked up one of the last few Arkham patients, walking to join Cass. Neither one spoke, both biting their cheeks. Crying was a sign of weakness-but they were both certain Jason wouldn't come home alive tonight.

Tim had arrived at the warehouse and was currently getting through an electric wired window, which Steph supposed would keep anyone from getting in. But she heard both boys curse from time to time, their comms on a constant static. She flashed for a moment to Talia, home with Carrie and Damian. It was too dangerous for the two kids to be out any longer, especially with Damian's laughing gas still holding his mind.

She checked in with the others, and she took Cass to the Batcopter. They flew as fast as they could toward the warehouse, knowing that if Red X did survive, he would need to be airlifted to a hospital-or at least to Alfred's care. Bruce and Barbara got there shortly after the pair took off, and crashing glass could be heard in the background of the radios. Talia gasped when she first heard it, and Stephanie knew that she was in the Cave, watching from the computer.

She hoped Carrie wasn't there-the kid idolized Jay, and if she saw him dead, who knew what would happen.

* * *

Shards of glass flew past Jay's coiled form. He knew they'd made it, after all, but his eyes wouldn't open. Two pairs of footsteps, one he recognized as Dick's. The other was light, but not any of the girls-and no one would bring Damian, would they? It had to be Tim Drake.

His radio had been smashed in the original scuffle. He would give anything to know Barbara had gotten herself somewhere safe-he had always been closest to Barbie. Bruce would be in the Batmobile, on his way. He hoped they hadn't left Arkham unguarded-that was the Joker's idea, draw them away and take out an old enemy at the same time. He heard punches thrown against the back wall-the boys were drving the Joker away from him. He wished he could help.

Another crash through the second window, the closer one to the parking strip. A heavy form landed a few feet away from him-Bruce. _So he did make it. . ._ Jason told himself. He couldn't let go, he thought. _Especially now that life's so close._

* * *

Bruce knelt beside the limp form of his second son. Jason murmured something incoherently, and Bruce let out a pent up breath. He'd be okay, he could still let sound escape his lips. Then, the Batman looked up to his old enemy fighting Nightwing and Red Robin. He began to pick up Red X, watching blood seep from underneath his mask. He lifted the boy from the red concrete, calling out to his oldest son. "Night! We need to get him somewhere safe!"

The blue and black clad man nodded. He spun from his battle, racing to open the huge door. And then they came out of nowhere and he had two downed kids.

* * *

She heard Bruce call out even without the comm built into her laptop. Barbara had crossed her fingers and hoped, hacking the security cameras so she could see. Back in the cave, she knew Talia and Alfred would be watching. The youngest Batkids would hopefully be in bed so they didn't have to see the unhappy ending that was coming. She couldn't see any way out-all she saw was the Joker minions crawling from the shadows.

Oracle found an okay camera angle, and she hoped. Jason was in a pool of blood, but when Bruce lifted him and sighed under the cowl, she knew he was alive. The Joker minions ran in before she could warn them, and she closed her eyes for a moment. When they opened, she saw that one had hit Nightwing with a taser, and Tim was knocked out with after four of them ambushed him. Red Robin had been hit in many places, but those wounds could be patched up. Dick, meanwhile, was barely moving. The machine must've been set at it's peak-Barbara hated Joker more and more. He jumped through the window, which the minions bound shut too quick for anyone to react. Bruce was holding Jay, and he couldn't get out either.

She knew there would be a bomb somewhere, that was the Joker's style. Bruce did, but with three of his four sons in danger and collapsed on the floor, what could he do? Jason couldn't have been but minutes from death, and he wouldn't let the young man go, not now anyway. So she flipped cams trying to find it, doing her best without being able to go inside. But she hadn't gone through much of the room when a minion leapt from nowhere. He knocked her into a blackness that she'd been afraid of for a long time-it had taken her ability to walk.

* * *

Talia shivered hard as moments passed. Alfred was just as afraid, his breath ragged with it-and he rarely showed emotion. She put a hand over that of the old man at the two of them sat at the Batcomputer, watching Jay's life fade and Dick's heartbeat slow. They heard a thump and the cameras crashed-they had taken Barbara as well. Talia clicked button after button until two static filled feeds came in. The Batmobile was still and Barbara lay, bleeding from a head wound, on her laptop.

The second feed proved that Tim was waking and hurting badly. He shook his head and stumbled to his father, taking Jason's body. They heard a crackling voice as he spoke. "It's okay. . .I'll take him. There's a. . .flashing light on. . .you know. Left side. . .of the back alcove. . . ."

The youngest man carried his brother beside Dick and waited there, his head swaying with pain. Bruce found the explosives beneath a tarp, but there wouldn't be time to disable them. There might not even be time to try getting out. Talia's breath caught in her throat as she realized she was about to lose her oldest daughter, three sons, and the man who had loved her regardless.

* * *

Cass saw the explosion when they were still a few blocks away. Stephanie screamed and sped the aircraft up, landing it in the huge parking lot. Cassandra leapt out before the engines had even been shut off and she ran for the flaming building. Barbara lay in the Batmobile, eyes closed. She shot a fleeting glance to her disabled sister before running to the ruins, knowing that Barbie would hold her own.

Bruce was bent over the three boys, eyes dark. Cass pushed her way into the debris and caught his eyes. He looked up and gave her a panicked look. Tim was holding Jason out of the flames, and she took him gently. Tim hauled himself to his feet, helping Bruce lift Dick over one shoulder. Cass watched Tim fight to stay awake and she loaded Jay into the helicopter beside Dick. Stephanie yelled to Bruce, "I'll fly them home with Cass. You take care of Tim and Barbara!"

She turned on the engines and started off. Cass knelt beside Jason, who lay on a stretcher, and Dick on her other side. He was waking now, gripping his cot with white knuckles. She put a hand on his heart to steady him, pulling headphones over his ears. She then spoke to calm him and herself. "Dickie, calm down. Everyone's gonna be okay-we got you and Jay out."

He shook his head and she explained. "Joker minions busted in and knocked you out. He had set up a bomb, and it did blow up, but everyone got out alright. See, Red X is right here next to me."

"Tim. . . Babs. . . you an' Steph. . . ." Grayson broke off in a coughing fit, and she guessed that he'd inhaled smoke. She nodded, putting his hand in hers and Jay's wrist in her other one. She kept a grip on it, feeling his pulse as she spoke. "Tim and Barbara are with Bruce. He's driving them back to the Cave."

"An' you an' Stephie-"

"We're both perfectly okay," Stephanie told him calmly. Cass admired her for that-at even a year older, Stephanie Brown had a self-control equal to Bruce's. Dick kept coughing and Cassandra's worries grew-he had barely been breathing when they'd taken off, and now his lungs weren't cooperating. How long could he last like that?

* * *

Talia picked up Barbara as soon as the Batmobile top opened. She was swift to the infirmary, where she lay the girl down and began to clean the gaping wound. Bruce spoke as he and Alfred worked on Tim. "Stephanie and Cassandra were fine. Cass might have minor burns from the flames, but I think she worried more about the boys than herself."

"She deserves a medal," Tim commented, his speech slightly slurred. A door clicked shut, and Talia didn't even need to lift her head to see Carrie coming down the steps. She walked to the woman's side, insisting, "I'm helping."

"Thanks," she said, taking a needle and thread from her youngest daughter. The girl was told all that had happened, and she stood strong. "I hope everything ends up okay."

"It will, you shall see." Alfred touched his fingertips to her short red hair. The girls arrived shortly, and they raced to get Jay and Dick care immediately. Damian came down at hearing the commotion, but his head was still spinning and he would be in the way anyway. Jason took a blood transfusion from Talia, and so many stitches that they lost count. Dick needed an icepack and some Icy-Hot, which Carrie was all too happy to bring to him.

And then they waited.

Talia came and sat with them as soon as they'd drawn enough blood for Jason. She murmured, "How're you feeling, Dami?"

"There're. . .these fucking tiny sheep in my mouth," he said, opening his jaws. Carrie saw the gauze over the side of his mouth, giggling a little at his comment. She would thank him later for lightening the mood. Talia pulled away as much of the material from his teeth as possible, but she knew that until tomorrow, it couldn't all come off. She'd needed it done just before she died. Died. . .like her brother had, and might once again, if he couldn't pull through now.

* * *

Jason blinked awake, bright light hurting his eyes instantly. He remembered blacking out in the helicopter, and now he was in the infirmary, tied to the bed. He was content to stay like that, and besides, Damian was sitting between his and Dick's beds as company. "Dami-"

"Hush. Pennyworth says that you should stay very still."

He nodded, testing each area of his body for pain. Overall, he thought, it was a mere seven on a scale of ten. He would have to thank Alfred later-and Cass, he remembered her carrying him to the helicopter, and Tim for holding on to him during the explosion. He would really have to thank Tim.

* * *

Dick's eyes were sore, and he dared not open them. He heard Dami murmuring to Jason, beside him, and he remembered Bruce spending the night between their beds. He recalled the flight home, and the explosion-the flight. He was supposed to pick up Kori and Mar'i at the airport last night. He shook himself awake, a new determination in his blood. And then he realized he was straining against ties holding him to the bed. He broke into a coughing fit.

Damian was beside him in an instant. "Hush, Richard, hush. . . . You will be fine."

". . . Forgot. . . to pick up. . . ." Damian touched a fingertip to Dick's cheek, wiping away ash from the firey building. "Your wife and daughter are fine. They are on their way here, in fact."

"Thanks, lil' D." And with that, he settled back down to sleep, listening to Jason's soft snoring beside him. All would be well.

* * *

 **Author's Note - Thanks for reviews! If you have something you want put in a future chapter, please, please send ideas in. I am always happy to write them. Please stay tuned for Dick's family appearing, Jay's wife getting angry, and Cass bonding with Dami!**


	4. Chapter 4

A shiver wracked Talia's body as she awoke, thoughts of her son spinning in her mind. Her son, Jason, her second son that she'd been able to give life to when his birth mother conspired with that monster to kill him. . . . Yes, Jason, her son.

She walked down the steps, reminding herself of all her adoptive children had endured. Dick, with his singed lungs, would lay beside Jay and sleep-Damian had promised to stay with them the night before. Carrie had stayed awake for hours, refusing to sleep while Dick was hurt-he was definetly her favorite brother, but no one could blame her. He'd sheltered her in her final days.

A bedtime story had lulled the tomboy to sleep, and she'd left to find Cass sitting in her window. Her silhouette was painting a shadow in the hall, a form sitting against the glass and watching the moon as a tree danced between them. She'd known the girl since she was young, only three or four, so when it came to sleepless nights, Talia knew what her daughter needed. Someone to silently hold her there, to let the girl climb in her lap and savor the feeling that she was deprived of for so long, with her birth parents. Once Cassandra was asleep, she'd laid the girl down and left the door open.

A quick check on Barbara, who was sprawled out in her bed, scratches painting her skin. She'd been hurt, but not enough that she needed to stay with the oldest boys. Stephanie was also feeling fine, and she was curled up in her bed. Both girls had been kissed lightly by the former assassin, who let them enjoy the peace after the storm. They deserved it, no doubt.

Tim had fallen asleep at his computer again, still in costume. She'd pulled off his mask and utility belts, then laid him under a thin blanket on his bed. He'd woken when his head hit the pillows and given her a tired, weak smile. "Thanks, Mom."

Even now, that stuck to the edges of her mind. He'd been half-asleep, and exhausted beforehand, but she couldn't help thinking that he'd meant it. Whatever the case, she knew he was her son, and that he deserved the best of treatment from her. All of the Batkids did.

* * *

Stephanie awoke to a dark room. Her thick curtains were closed, and she whipped them open, taking on the sunlight with halfway closed eyes. It woke her enough to get dressed at least, and then she went to check on her partner.

Whether he was her partner in life, battle, or just for a little fun here and there, she could never tell.

Tim was still asleep in costume. Someone had pulled off his belts and mask, and set them on his desk. She shook him, and he shot awake like he always did. "Wha'? Oh, oh, Steph. Is it really mornin' already?"

"Yeah-huh. And you're still in uniform."

"Oh, right. Okay. Thanks." She left him to get dressed and moved to go check on the others after their night. It was chilling to wake up with so many bruises, even if she remembered instantly where she'd gotten them.

* * *

Talia had come, he knew. His eyes refused to open, though, so he let his ears close with them.

Dick was awake and feeling better, but he wasn't. He settled down and let sleep claim him until he felt Carrie shaking him awake. He reluctantly pulled himself from the mental fort he was building, with pillows for walls and a blanket roof. He'd healed that way before, inside his own mind with physical comfort in it. "Wha'tis't?"

"Sorry," she amended instantly. "But Alfred said you need to eat something."

At least he'd sent the one Jason liked, even if she was way too talkative. She rambled off instantly, and he half-listened to make sure everyone had survived the night. Barbie was bruised, Dick and Tim had smoke in their lungs, Bruce wouldn't let anyone see him, Stephanie and Cassandra had gone to bed and woke up perfectly fine, and the two smallest kids were simply frightened. "Dami went to bed when I came down. He's off the drugs from yesterday, so that's good."

"Yeah? What about you?" He asked, taking another bite of the cereal his old guardian had provided for him. She shook her head, balancing her weight on the edge of his bed. "I'm okay. It was kind of scary, though, when I saw how bad you and Dick were. Tim, too, he was pretty bad. He said it was nothing, though, and went right to work on the papers that they wanted filled out."

"Trust the Replacement to put his good soul to the work nobody wants to do," he muttered. "Especially when he's hurt."

She gave him a questioning look. He had his mouth open to reply when heels came clicking down the steps. Jay could tell it was Trinity before she even cleared the corner and he could see her. She was wearing a black dress, brown scarf, brown heels, and her hair was done up with a ribbon of the same chocolate shade. And, as always, she wore her "Terra" necklace with the T-shaped pendant.

"Jason Peter Todd-Wayne!" She snapped, walking over. Briar-Rose was on her hip, wearing a white dress with pink flowers on the skirt. "How could you? I'm sitting at home, paranoid, because you run off without a word, and the next thing I hear, you're half-dead."

He pulled himself to his feet, biting his tongue to hide the pain. "Terra, Trinity, Terra, Trinity. See, you can go between just like I can. Cut me some slack."

"Jason," she said, softening her tone. "We have each other. We have our daughter. Neither of us can risk things like this, it's too dangerous."

"Why? I'm fine, okay? I'm just fine." She blinked darkened blue eyes at him and for once, he didn't see the earth-moving Titan. For once, he didn't see the girl he'd fallen in love with when he was sixteen, brought back from death, and she was only fifteen. He didn't see the mother of his daughter, the woman he had married and dragged through the terror of their house being bombed. He saw a scared seventeen-year-old who didn't want to lose the one person she'd allowed herself to grow close to. The one person who hadn't left her yet. "I'm gonna be here for a long time yet."

She pulled him close with her free arm, resting her head on his shaky chest. He held their little daughter, kissed his wife, and stood there to hold them on their feet despite his own pain.

* * *

Damian's feet hit the carpet with tired pain. He needed sleep, but he could hold out for a few more hours if they needed him to. There was a time when now, he would barely feel anything, numb to waking and sleeping alike. Now, he had been softened-but was that truly bad, he wondered silently. He passed Cass's room, peeking in to see her lying against the glass with those eyes again.

It was always those eyes, the eyes of a fellow assassin would-be, that decided how much he disliked his father and Grayson softening him like this.

* * *

Dick sat on the couch, his tiny daughter tucked under one arm. She was playing some sliding puzzle game, unaware of the conversation her parents were having. Koriand'r had head the news moments after she stepped off the plane. She'd been completely oblivious to his whereabouts during the terrifying afternoon, evening, and half the night. "I was totally out of it on the helicopter. I mean, I was awake and I knew Cass was with me, but I was just. . . out."

"I was very much of the terrified," she said softly, looking into those eyes of his. The Nightwing eyes, she secretly called them, because they were the blue of his costume and they held the same dark boldness in them. "Mar'i and I spent the night at the Tower-Friend Raven told us all when she picked us up."

"I'm going to have to thank her," he said. She sighed. "I do believe she is simply relieved that you lived, that you all lived."

"So am I," he told her truthfully, eyes glazing with a forgotten terror when he looked at his daughter. If fate had decided to go another way, he wouldn't be here with the little girl now.

* * *

"Carrie, have you seen Dami or Cass?" Talia called down the steps. The girl looked up and shook her head, carrying Jason's empty tray. She'd left as soon as Trinity arrived, to give her brother and sister-in-law some space. She replied to her mother, "No. I've been down with Jay since I got up. Why, are they missing?"

"I hate to admit it, but yes," she said, taking the dishes from the girl and walking to the kitchen. She started to rinse them in the sink, handing them to Carrie and having her set them in the sink. "Your brother doesn't seem to have gone into his room at all. My fear is that he fell asleep on his feet somewhere, and I know he was still in costume. What if someone sees him? Or worse, takes him away?"

"May I point out that, despite his being only nine, Dami is very durable," she told the woman. "He's probably wide awake somewhere."

"Yes, I suppose you are right," she said, washing her hands off. She dried them as the girl stepped up to wash her own. "Nevertheless, we need to find them. Heaven knows where Cass went, she is a bit of a challenge to keep still."

"Yeah. I heard about last night, how you found her in the window." Talia must have looked surprised, because the girl said, "Daddy told me. He said he's worried about her-she doesn't talk too much and she's always wandering off somewhere into the woods. He said he thinks there's somewhere still on the property she goes to, though, 'cause if he calls her cell she is usually back pretty quick."

"Which confuses me. She doesn't take a car, so she's walking there, and she's got nowhere to go here."

"Maybe she does, it's just a secret. A personal place." Carrie said. "I've got mine."

Talia couldn't tell the girl of her own place, the tiny room hidden from view. The room she'd decorated with mementos of her children, even if she'd never know them to see it.

* * *

Barbara rolled her wheelchair around the house, searching. Bruce had enlisted her in the search for Cassandra and Damian, since Stephanie and Alfred were busy tending to Tim. Carrie and Talia would be outside, but her father had stayed inside. Either he was being nice by staying with her when he knew she couldn't leave the house in her wheelchair, or it was a big house. She definetly preferred the second, as she hated pity, but then again, it truly was a huge house.

A house huge enough to hide her silent sister and baby brother, which she was very worried for at the moment. Damian hadn't slept since the night before, and to dull the way Carrie put it, he'd woken with nightmares at two am. Besides, he'd been fighting on laughing gas for hours the day before. Why had they even let him fight in that condition, anyway? It wasn't like they couldn't handle things without him-he and Carrie had gone home with Talia when things got bad.

Cassandra was no better. She'd been awake long into the night, and Barbara had stayed with her for quite awhile, until she herself couldn't stay awake. Talia had told them all about finding the girl in her window, looking out with glazed eyes at the moon. She'd stayed with her adoptive daughter until the girl slept, and that wasn't until early in the morning. Plus she was helping with the hunt, when she should still be sleeping.

If only her family was a little more normal. . . .

* * *

Bruce really didn't want to deal with Cass and Dami at this precise moment.

He was supposed to be in his office at a meeting, but he'd called in a family issue last night, saying he would take at least a day if not two. Jason was more stable now, and he'd almost gone in anyway. Until he heard about Dick's family, how worried they were, so he offered them a place to stay until he was well enough to go back to the Tower. Besides, he liked Koriand'r. She'd known Dick since he moved to Jump City all those years ago, and she'd joined Jason's Outlaw team with him and Roy Harper. That was something no one could overlook.

Cass had been brave the night before, a brave fighter like she always was on patrol. When they got her home, there was no time to slow down and look her over. The boys needed the most attention. Stephanie and Barbara had gone to bed, feeling okay, and she'd followed quietly. It wasn't until he heard about her long night that he realized the depths of her shaken-ness. She had been very worried for the boys.

And he didn't want to think about his youngest son, not right now, anyway.

* * *

"Cassandra," Damian murmured, walking into the doorway. "You should go downstairs. Walking around will help."

"Why?" He almost thought he'd misheard her. He shook his head, walking in and standing beside her. "Cass," he said, gritting his teeth a little. "Mother is very worried for you, since last night she had to sit with you to get you to sleep. You must get out of this window, if only for her sake."

"Fine. I'll go to my special place," she said, throwing her legs from the windowsill with almost no force at all. "Do you want to see it?"

He comtemplated the offer. Her special place-for him that was the attic, looking at the photographs Bruce had hidden away in albums no one knew about. He could trust the one who knew his pain with seeing that, so was she trusting him with her place for the same reason? Whatever the situation, he didn't want to break that trust. Cass was like him, a lost soul who'd come here for a broken comfort that family could only give.

"Yes, I would like that."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This will be the last chapter, I think. Thanks so much to everyone who read this story and please check out my other stories. I'm going to have my other Batman fic, about how Talia became part of the BatFam(and Batwoman, for that matter). It's mostly Damian, Tim, and Dick's POV and there's some DamianxMar'i(who is Dick's daughter, if you haven't read the comics yet).**

 **If you have more ideas for this story, or any of my stories, PM me or put it in a review-I will definetly put them in!**

 **PS-Special thank you to Mireilles3 and Gzimmer3 for reviewing!**

* * *

Her eyes darkened slightly, so slightly, in fact, that only a trained eye could see it. And the eyes of her companion were that type, unfortunately for her. Bruce Wayne, her life, her love, the father of her child, even, stood beside her. He had a similar look to his face, though the only person in his universe that could tell was Alfred-and the old man wouldn't know how much was behind the light, barely-there scowl.

"Worried?" He asked her, and she gave him a glare. "No. Just confused. Why would Damian and Cassandra leave without telling anyone, to somewhere most likely on this property? They would've run into someone on the way out, I would think, unless they were slipping away deliberately. And why would they do that? Damian spent the night awake, he must be half-asleep. And Cassandra didn't have too good of a night herself, either."

"True," he said, and she turned away. He couldn't see that she was stifling the look that he had to work hard to see. "But you of all people should know that former villains never have it easy. Perhaps they're walking someplace that helps them get out of that void?"

"Perhaps." Still, Talia worried. Cass had been heartbroken to hear her father was killed, her mother to follow in distress just days after. And Damian wasn't exactly known for a clean record with emotion.

* * *

Stephanie was tired. Tired of dealing with Tim as he resisted treatment on his wounds, which were light but many. Tired of the blood that clung to everything and the smell it carried with it. And way too tired of the song she'd managed to get stuck in her head, as beautiful as the words were. As she picked up rolls of bandages, cotton balls, and rubbing alcohol from around the cave, she sang softly to herself. "When people say things that bring you to your knees, I'll catch you. . . . The time is gonna come when you're so mad you could cry, but I'll hold you through the night. . . until you. . . . Smile. . . ."

What she didn't realize was that her sister was listening.

* * *

Jason's wife had gone home late that morning, when the clock was nearing twelve. Their daughter had fallen asleep and he'd buckled her into the carseat, promising he would join them when his brother and sister were found. His wife was less than thrilled.

"You'd better," she said, a bit gruffly, then leaned in to give him a quick kiss. He returned the gesture and gave her a small smile, which she turned away from. That was almost an hour ago, and he still worried.

She was definetly mad at him. She was mostly mad because she was afraid, but he knew he needed to be careful, or at least more careful than he was being. There were people counting on him now. His head spun like a merry-go-round and he leaned against a garden bench to let it calm.

He didn't want to chase after the demon spawn today, or any day, for that matter. But brothers had to stick it up, right?

* * *

She walked him along the path and he barely noticed when branches growing over it scratched at his skin. He could hear his blood spinning in his ears, and the whistle of wind between them. Thoughts weren't a part of any of it.

Damian knew he needed sleep. That did poke its way through the numb film that crossed his head like a spiderweb. But he was curious to what his sister wanted to show him, so he kept following her down the forest path. Her black combat boots, halfway to her knees, crushed sticks beneath them. The ends of her leggings were tucked inside, and her oversized T-shirt fell over her legs, looking almost like a dress.

It was all black, just like her raven colored hair and night-like eyes.

* * *

Dick laid against the doorframe, his ice blue eyes the color of a winter sky. Kori was snuggled into the couch after her worrisome night, and he had to watch his daughter. She told him that she'd help with the search, but so far she'd gotten herself stuck under the porch and had fallen off the steps, scraping up her knees. He'd cleaned her up and was now heading back outside, the tiny girl just in front of him.

Damian and Cass were still nowhere to be seen, but he knew he shouldn't worry. She was a legal adult and he just as mature, if not more. They could-and probably would-take on anything that threatened them. But if he was truly honest with himself, and he went down into that place where he kept his true thoughts from anyone's eyes, he saw something terrible. He saw the danger in the trees as if he were a circus boy again, coming here for the first time.

He saw his little sister and brother weren't as strong as they thought they were.

* * *

Carrie went back inside, reluctantly. Hours had passed, and the daylight was beginning to fade. No Damian, no Cass, and no dinner-the last on her mental list truly riled her. Damian could handle himself, and even she feared Cass for the assassin she truly was. She'd heard a rumor on the wind-actually, from Barbara, that Stephanie had been singing earlier and that had perked her up a little. But still.

Still, she hadn't reached double digits yet and was being forced to take her shower before she could eat. Still, her siblings were headed home and missing without even a glance at her. Still, her wish for a whole family hadn't been completely granted-but she would take what she could get.

* * *

Barbara settled her head against the seatbelt. Kara had come to pick her up, secretly listening for Cass and Damian. A sad head shake meant their plan had failed, and they got in the car. Kara had flown to the house, and was taking her home the long way. The redhead knew what this meant, but she was so tired it barely mattered. "And I was so worried. They got it on the news, you know, that building blowing up. I was so afraid when I saw you were there, and they took you off and you never once opened your eyes. I thought I'd lost you!"

Typical of Kara, to act like they were characters in a TV drama. The words she let roll off her tongue like raindrops were so scripted, Barbie half-expected someone to yell "Cut!" and the road ahead to dissolve into a green screen. Instead, weariness swallowed her and she let the pain of her recent bruises melt into nothingness, hearing only her friend's words as they cut into the sticky film of unconsciousness.

"You're a great hero, Barbie." The final thought slipping after the trail of speech left Oracle in a half-lost daze. _If I am, then how come I couldn't go out and find Damian and Cassandra?_

* * *

Cassandra turned when they reached a clearing in the trees. Damian was two or three feet behind her, and he stopped after a few steps, looking on at the space. Tree stumps had been moved to make a circle around the area, enclosing her most personal, private space. The space she was entrusting her youngest brother with the secret of, because she knew he would keep silent. She knew he had his place, too.

Inside the circle, there were three things. The first, the spot one noticed right upon walking up, was a swingset. It was silver in the midday light, with the swings themselves hanging from the same metallic grey. They were curved pads of black, thin rubber that could hold a person's weight by simple miracle. The second thing in the clearing was the wooden house, with smooth outside walls and a padlocked door.

Cassandra moved now to unlock that door, leading Damian inside and motioning for him to settle in on one of the bunkbeds against the wall. Shelves lined the two walls not occupied by a door or the stacked bedframes. On these shelves were food items ranging from canned fruits to potato chips, all non-perishable, and she realized she was hiding this particular place for. . . no reason at all.

"This is my shelter," she explained to a tired-looking Damian. "Dad bought me that swingset the first year I lived in the Manor, and I moved it out here last summer. It was in the garden when you first got here."

"I remember that. It was completely covered in ivy," he said lazily, lying back on the pillows. "And this is your bomb shelter?"

"Yeah. Since my parents died, I've always been a little too paranoid something will happen to the house. So I built myself a fall back." She climbed the ladder to the top bunk and flopped down. "I'm going to get some sleep, if you want to."

"Didn't bring my phone," he said, rolling over and suffocating his voice in the pillowcase. She pulled her own-a perfect rectangle with pointed corners and a thin black case-out. She messaged their father, but it wasn't recieved. "Think B left his phone off again. I wonder if he's going to overreact again?"


End file.
